Last night, for the first time in history, the MOBO Awards took place entirely online without an audience. Hosted by Maya Jama and Chunkz, it was a little strange to see what is usually a lively night of electric energy and rapturous celebration being tamed, but it was worth it to see all the artists getting their dues. There were also some memorable performances on the night.
Kojey Radical stole the show with "Good", a track written specifically for the ceremony that touched on the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for social change; Ms Banks gave her own attention-grabbing performance of "Snack" and new single "You Don't Know", while the rest of the night's performances came from Young T & Bugsey, Shaybo, H.E.R, Tiana Major9 and Stylo G, the latter peforming a five-song medley of "Touch Down", "X5", "Oh Lawd", "Dumpling" and "Call Me A Yardie".
"I feel very proud about this year's show which will go down in history because of its unique commentary and set of circumstances," said MOBO founder, Kanya King. "We will archive it for future generations to watch and learn about the times we are currently in. I want to thank the BBC and YouTube for working together, all for the greater good. This wasn't just an awards show, this is an empowering show with a purpose that represents opportunity over inequality, that represents pride for an audience that often feels marginalised, that represents achievement against all odds."
She added: "There will be new artists watching the show and because of it, their lives and those of their families may be forever changed. Roll on our 25th anniversary next year — let's get ready to MOBOLISE!"
Take a look at the list of winners below:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nines – Crabs In A Bucket
BEST MALE ACT
Headie One
BEST FEMALE ACT
Mahalia
SONG OF THE YEAR
Young T & Bugsey – "Don't Rush" f/ Headie One
BEST NEWCOMER
Aitch
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
NSG – "Lupita" (directed by Kevin Hudson)
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
Mahalia
BEST HIP-HOP ACT
Nines
BEST GRIME ACT
Jme
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Burna Boy
BEST ALBUM (1 SEPTEMBER 2017 – 31 AUGUST 2019)
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
BEST AFRICAN ACT
Wizkid
BEST REGGAE ACT
Buju Banton
BEST GOSPEL ACT
Calledout Music
BEST JAZZ ACT
Ego Ella May
BEST PRODUCER
JAE5
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
Michael Ward as Marco – Blue Story
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
Chunkz
